Ring Doorbell Night Vision Not Working? (Possible Causes & Fixes)
Ring is a company that makes several types of security monitoring devices for the home, one of which is the Ring video doorbell. When you’re home alone and someone rings the doorbell after midnight, with the Ring video doorbell, you can see who is there and decide whether to let them in or call 911. It also records the view, so there is a video for the police if it turns out that it was some shady character at the door.
However, at night, the Ring video doorbell only helps you if your Night Vision is working correctly. So, if yours is acting up, don’t fret, because we’re going to tell you how to troubleshoot a malfunctioning Ring doorbell Night Vision feature.
To troubleshoot completely black videos, troubleshoot by playing back a video from your Ring Dashboard, checking your RSSI in your Ring app, renaming your SSIDs, running a speed test, checking whether one or all your multiple Ring devices are malfunctioning, or troubleshooting your router. To troubleshoot white-washed faces, adjust the angle. For all-around poor videos, adjust the Night Vision settings.
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What Is Night Vision on a Ring Video Doorbell?
If you’ve installed a video doorbell, that means you want to know who is at your door day or night. At night, it is difficult to see under normal conditions due to the lack of light. Night vision uses an alternate light source to get around that problem in black and white, as well as color night vision.
How Does Black and White Night Vision Work?
During the day, the camera in a Ring doorbell operates normally. However, at night, the normal operation ceases, and the camera switches into night vision mode in which infrared light illuminates the area of focus, so you can make out what is there. This happens automatically when it reaches a given level of darkness, and the night vision automatically switches off when a given level of light reappears during the day.
How Does Color Night Vision Work?
Some models of the Ring video doorbell also support color night vision. This is night vision that overlays artificial color onto the infrared-lighted areas of the view. This allows for, not an accurate color view, but a workable color view of who or what is outside your door.
How to Troubleshoot a Malfunctioning Ring Doorbell Night Vision Feature
A video doorbell is a wonderful safety feature to have in place until it stops working correctly. Then, you must quickly figure out the problem to maintain your family’s security. Following are several steps you can take to troubleshoot a malfunctioning Ring doorbell Night Vision feature.
What to Do If Your Videos Are Completely Black
If your Ring video doorbell videos are completely black, your router may need to be adjusted. Here are the steps to follow if you have a completely black video.
It is imperative to first deduce whether the problem is with the Ring device itself or with the Ring application. Do the following to answer the question.
- On your PC or laptop, log into your account at the Ring website.
- From the Dashboard at Ring, try playing back a video.
- If the video plays back correctly, the problem is in the Ring application, and this is a hint that you may have a weak connection between your mobile device and the internet.
- Try playing a video on your mobile device over Wi-Fi alone. Then, try it on cellular alone. This will help you isolate the poor connection.
- If you cannot access the video, this may mean there is a problem between the Ring device and its connection with the Ring servers. This could have to do with the modem, router, or ISP.
Don’t begin adjusting your router until you first verify that one of the following is not the cause of your inaccessible recording.
- Poor Wi-Fi signals often cause connectivity issues with Ring devices. In your Ring application, check the Device Health section, and ensure that the device’s RSSI falls within an acceptable range, which is between 0 and (-60) RSSI.
- You can also try giving your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless networks new SSIDs, so you can easily tell them apart, as some Ring devices are not compatible with 5 GHz networks.
- Inaccessible recordings can be caused by poor upload speeds, so run a speed test to check whether your network can support Ring devices.
- Ring devices featuring 720p displays require a minimum of 500 Kbps upload and download speeds, but for optimal performance, they recommend 1 Mbps.
- Ring devices featuring 1080p displays require a minimum of 1 Mbps upload and download speeds, but for optimal performance, they recommend 2 Mbps.
- Also, if you have multiple Ring devices installed, additional bandwidth will be required for optimal performance.
4. If you have multiple Ring devices, check to see if they are all malfunctioning or just this one.
- If more than one device is affected, the problem is likely with your internet connection or your firewall settings.
- If the problem is isolated to only one device, check to ensure that one device has sufficient signal strength.
It’s time to consider router problems. There are several ways to begin troubleshooting your router, but most people don’t want to fool with their router. Most people call for assistance at this point. If you would like to go ahead and try the steps to troubleshoot a router yourself, you can find them on the Ring website.
What to Do If Your Videos Have White-Washed Faces
If the faces in your Ring doorbell videos are white-washed, the angle of your device may need to be adjusted. Light can overexpose the image that is being recorded if the angle is not right. Each of the various models of the Ring doorbell comes with both a mounting kit and a corner kit, so you can change the doorbell’s angle.
What to Do If Your Videos Consistently Have Poor Visibility
If you always get poor visibility, you should try adding a small amount of light to the viewed area. There are three settings in the Ring app for Night Vision: Standard, for when you have no problem with glare, Wall Nearby, for when you are dealing with a glare from the surface of a nearby wall, or Well-Lit, for when your viewed area is well-lit.
Related Guide: Ring Doorbell Has Poor Video Quality?
What to Do If Your Ring Video Doorbell Is Stuck in Night Vision Mode
Night Vision is a very helpful application until the sun comes up. A Ring video doorbell that is stuck in Night Vision mode will result in videos that come out looking “purpley” and odd. This doesn’t do you much good when you are trying to identify the person at your door and make a determination whether it is safe to open it. If your Ring video doorbell is stuck in Night Vision mode:
- The easiest and first thing you should try to do is to make adjustments to your infrared settings. Here’s what to do:
- In the Ring app, tap the 3 dots in the top right corner.
- Locate the Video Settings tab, then Night Vision.
- Set Night Vision to Auto.
2. The next thing to try is to reboot your device. Here’s what to do:
- Find the orange button located at the back of the doorbell.
- Press the button and hold it for roughly 20 seconds.
- You should see a flashing light on the front of the doorbell.
- It can take up to 5 minutes for the device to complete its reset.
3. One more thing you can try is changing the lighting in the area around your doorbell. Since the switch that
changes the doorbell’s filter from normal to night vision and back is triggered by light and dark, maybe it is being tricked by the lighting in the area.
What to DIf you need more help, the first step we suggest is going to the Ring website where you can find all manner of helpful articles on Ring products or calling Ring Customer Support. If they cannot help you, the next step we’d recommend is calling your internet service provider, that is, if you believe your problem has to do with your router. Lastly, if they cannot help you either, you may have to contact your router’s manufacturer.o If You Need More Help
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How to Tell Which Model of Ring Doorbell You Have
If you already have your doorbell set up in the Ring app, you’ll need to go find the Device Health p
- Tap the three lines on the top left of the screen
- Tap Devices
- Select the correct doorbell if you have more than one
- Tap Device Health
- Under Device Details is your Product Name, which tells you the model
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